There are a number of industries wherein equipment is required to operate in an atmosphere of sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) gas. One particular industry is the electrical supply industry. SF6 has very low electric conductivity characteristics and so lends itself as being a highly suitable insulating gas for high voltage equipment, for example, electric circuit breakers and transformers.
However, SF6 has serious environmental concerns with respect to its potential contribution to the greenhouse effect if released to the atmosphere. Furthermore, SF6 is an expensive gas to replace if lost to the atmosphere through leakage and, hence, the chance to reclaim it.
For some large indoor installations, measures have been employed to deal with preventing the spread of leaked gas. These measures involve environmental control to confine the spread of gas within a zone surrounding the equipment and means for sealing the zone and containing the gas therein. Such measures are extremely costly to implement and have no application for outdoor installations.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cost effective alternative for capturing and containing SF6 gas leakage, which can be employed in any installation.